Excellence at Work: Math faculty earn state and national honors

The teaching talents of two faculty in Mathematics are being recognized on the state and national levels.

Alicia Prieto Langarica, left, associate professor, has been awarded the national Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching from the Mathematical Association of America. The award is presented annually to only three faculty members nationwide and recognizes extraordinary teaching that has influence beyond the classroom.

Anita O’Mellan, right, a professor of Mathematics and Teacher Education, has been selected to receive the Kenneth Cummins Award for Exemplary Mathematics Teaching from the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The award, given annually to one Ohio math or math education faculty member, will be presented at OCTM’s conference in October in Sandusky.

O’Mellan earned a PhD from Memphis State University, joined the YSU Mathematics faculty in 1993 and was cross-appointed with the Department of Teacher Education in 2000. Her research interests focus on Graph Theory, Combinatorics and Mathematics Education. Prieto earned a PhD from the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses on the intersection of mathematics and biology, specifically problems related to the medical field.